


Weston College Prep

by thaliaarche



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Aromantic, Because This Fandom Definitely Needs Another High School AU, College Admissions, Counselor’s Office, Dialogue-Only, Emphatically Not How College Admissions Works, Food Fight, M/M, Not How The Justice System Works, Prep School, Probably Not How Counseling Works, Stalking, Study Drugs, lithromantic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-23
Updated: 2015-12-06
Packaged: 2018-05-02 23:48:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 2,545
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5268485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thaliaarche/pseuds/thaliaarche
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A Broadway starlet. His stalker. An over-rich chess player. A redhead actor who’s only superficial on the surface. A perfectionist obsessed with being admitted to Harvard. A valedictorian-to-be with one hell of a poker face. A shifty youth whose only mood is the subjunctive.</p><p>All seven juniors are called into the counselor’s office after violence breaks out in the hallowed dining hall of Weston College Prep. All seven students have interesting stories to tell . . .</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Introductions

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to see what kind of weirdness arises when looking at Kuro characters from an outsider’s perspective. Because of how inherently outlandish the characters are, I decided to ground this fic in my own personal experience-- thus the modern-school setting. 
> 
> I’ve been in a pure-dialogue sort of mood, so this story is a series of excerpts from one-on-one conversations between a counselor and different Kuro characters. The scenes are not quite in chronological order.

**Sebastian**

Counselor: “You pulled a knife on him.”

Sebastian: “Yes.”

Counselor: “A butter knife.”

 

**Alois**

Counselor: “We got the results back.”

Alois: “And they were clean.”

Counselor: “4 types of drugs, but you’ve got prescriptions for all of them.”

Alois: “What’d I tell you? I’m totally, boringly, _virginally_ clean. Can I go now?”

Counselor: “You’ve got prescriptions for 5.”

 

**Claude**

Counselor: “What’s so funny?”

Claude: “Life. Also the fact that, since I’ve walked into this room, I’ve identified five ways to kill you right now. Not that I’m seriously considering the subject.”

Counselor: “Really?”

Claude: “If I were serious, I’d have at least 15 by now.”

 

**Ciel**

Ciel: “How much of this is going to be on my record?”

Counselor: “Nothing. You’re not accused of anything at all. This meeting is meant partly to help us understand what happened, and mostly to help you.”

Ciel: “That’s almost sweet.”

Counselor: “What is?”

Ciel: “Thinking anyone can help me.”

 

**Grell**

Grell: “I didn’t freak out because of the fight. Frankly, I took the attention as a roundabout compliment. That’s what I have to do with everything in life.”

Counselor: “Everything?”

Grell: “Yes. Someone punches me in the face . . . Somehow, I promise you, it’s a compliment.”

 

**William**

Will: “I think this meeting is useless.”

Counselor: “I respect that. Can you at least tell me why you’ve reached that conclusion?”

Will: “Is there a space marked ‘Counseling’ on the Common App? I do my twelve extracurriculars for the twelve extracurricular slots, and not a thing more.”

 

**Lau**

Lau: “I cannot claim any direct knowledge of the fight, as I was absent at the time, studying diligently in the library. In fact, I do not claim any knowledge at all.”


	2. Escalation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The origins of the food fight become slightly clearer. Slightly.

**Alois**

Alois: “So I thought the kid was cute. Shoot me.”

Counselor: “Did you ever tell him you found him attractive?”

Alois: “You could run a jackhammer by Ciel Phantomhive’s ear, and he still wouldn’t hear you. So, you see, I _had_ to give him a hug.”

 

**Ciel**

Counselor: “Your medical record says you’ve suffered from a fear of being touched from a young age. Do you have any idea what could have caused it?”

Ciel: “Shall I assume you’re new, overworked, or simply inattentive?”

Counselor: “I’m afraid I don’t follow . . .”

Ciel: “My parents were burned to death in front of me when I was six. I think we can safely assume that caused it.”

 

**Sebastian**

Sebastian: “I really could care less about Ciel Phantomhive.”

Counselor: “You mean, you ‘couldn’t’ care less.”

Sebastian: “I mean what I say.”

 

**Grell**

Grell (using air quotes): “‘Alois’ started it.”

Counselor: “Why the air quotes?”

Grell: “Oh, come on. ‘Alois Trancy’? His name’s Jim Macken, and he just wanted a fancy, French-sounding stage name. God, he acts like he’s already a movie star, but he deserves to be an extra, at most. He’s not famous enough or pretty enough to get away with the trash he pulls.”

 

**Claude**

Claude: “I wouldn’t classify myself as a celebrity stalker. The Mackens tried to get a restraining order once, but Alois assured them I was harmless.”

 

**William**

William: “Frankly, I don’t have the time to be here— I have a packed schedule. I’ll be applying early to Harvard in the fall, and I have to get in for my own merits, since I haven’t got money or legacy . . .”

Counselor: “Are you alluding to Ciel Phantomhive?”

William (pointedly ignoring the question): “I’ve molded myself into the perfect candidate, you know. Good grades, enough to make salutatorian, at least. An upcoming international piano competition. No less than three meaningful leadership positions by senior fall . . .”

Counselor: “What happens if you don’t get in?”

 

**Sebastian**

Sebastian: “I predict I will be valedictorian.”

Counselor: “What if your prediction’s wrong?”

Sebastian: “If my prediction is wrong, I will likely be dead at graduation. I’m not suicidal, mind you. Simply confident.”


	3. Romance?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An early update!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heads-up: the counselor is going to sound rather ignorant about aromanticism in this chapter. Don't worry, their assumptions get promptly corrected :-)

**Grell**

Counselor: “Why don’t you like Alois Trancy?”

Grell: “He’s rude, crude, overappreciated, undertalented, and he keeps stealing my roles in the school plays, as if pro theater wasn’t enough.”

Counselor: “Anything else?”

Grell: “What makes you think there’s anything else?”

Counselor: “You tell me.”

Grell: “Fine. He, um, is stealing someone I care about from me. Not in a romantic or friendship sense, and Alois probably doesn’t even know . . . But I still hate him for enabling this whole mess in the first place.”

 

**William**

William: “Is there a ‘romance’ section on the Common App?”

Counselor: “No.”

William: “Then no, I’ve never been romantically linked to anyone in my life. I may look for a suitable life partner when I am in at Harvard and have more time, but, right now, a relationship is like a thankless unpaid internship you can’t even put on your resume.”

 

**Ciel**

Ciel: “Romance? Why do you ask?”

Counselor: “I suspect romance propelled quite a bit of the conflict that day. Alois, for example, hugged you with open romantic intent.”

Ciel: “It was less of a hug, more of an attempt at manslaughter.”

Counselor: “Have you been romantically involved with anyone since moving here?”

Ciel: “I have no interest in romance.”

Counselor: “Because of your phobia?”

Ciel: “People always assume that, but no. I could see myself having sex one day, if I trusted them, but roses and boxes of chocolate are not in the cards.”

Counselor: “Do you ever feel love at all?”

Ciel: “Are you tactfully checking for sociopathy?”

Counselor: “Have there been people you’ve loved in an unromantic sense . . .”

Ciel: “Of course there have. Two of them died in a fire, remember?”

 

**Alois**

Alois: “I expected Ciel to scream or run away or slap me. Those are the usual reactions I get from people who aren’t Claude. Of course, there was the slight possibility he might _like_ my hug . . .”

Counselor: “So what actually happened?”

Alois: “Goosebumps. Maybe a seizure. At any rate, I was immediately pulled off of him like a stinky bandage, thanks to a certain Sebastian.”

 

**Claude**

Claude: “I wouldn’t say I’m possessive. Not unreasonably so. But if someone harms one of my belongings, then, yes, I may harm them in return.”

Counselor: “So this would make Alois Trancy one of your belongings?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm pretty sure Will's internship line is my favorite quote from this entire story.


	4. Scars, Harvard, and Chess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Can you see the ships? They're slowly making their way to shore, their outlines dark amidst the morning fog . . .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While college admissions doesn't generally work this way, this set-up makes for a most convenient plot device. Please bear with me :-)

**William**

William: “I don’t usually get tangled up in messes of this sort. My record is perfectly clean, thank you very much.”

Counselor: “When do the doctors say you’ll heal?”

William: “I’ll be able to walk in a few weeks. The scar may be permanent, though.”

Counselor: “How do you feel about that?”

William: “Imperfection is the one enemy I can never conquer.”

 

**Sebastian**

Sebastian: “What makes you think _Harvard_ had anything to do with the incident that day? Did William suggest that in his session?”

Counselor: “Can you just explain how you think Weston and Harvard interact, as far as college admissions go?”

Sebastian: “Everyone knows that Weston students aren’t in the normal admissions pool. Every year, Harvard sets aside five spots for Weston, no more, no less.”

Counselor: “Any predictions on who’ll make it?”

Sebastian: Oh, everyone has predictions. I believe Lau actually organizes bets.”

Counselor: “Who would you bet on?”

Sebastian: “Soma, for being a prince. Lizzie, for being a Top 10 fencer internationally. Alois for being on Broadway. Ciel, for being a Phantomhive . . . and for being brilliant in his own way.”

Counselor: “What about that fifth spot?”

Sebastian: “I predict I’ll obtain it.”

Counselor: “Are you confident about that?”

Sebastian: “Not as confident as I would like.”

 

**Ciel**

Ciel: “I’m not like normal people; I never have been. A normal person can’t think more than two moves ahead in chess, three if I’m generous. I can think twelve moves ahead, easily. A normal person doesn’t pay attention in class because they’re on Facebook, chatting. I don’t pay attention because I’m a day trader, doubling my investments almost every three years . . .”

Counselor: “Do you have any friends?”

Ciel: “God, no. Well, I suppose I have a fan, at least. Sebastian never plays me himself, but he watches my chess games sometimes. He understands how I think. I’ve seen his eyes light up— four, five moves before anyone else realizes that I’m going to win.”

 

**Alois**

Alois: “You’d think I’d have plenty of pocket money, being a Broadway babe and all that. But my parents don’t let me near the paychecks. ‘Personal responsibility,’ they say. Too bad ‘irresponsibility’ is my best quality!”

Counselor: “Did you also disagree with your parents about how to handle Claude?”

Alois: “You’re funny. As if they could ever ‘handle Claude.’ He doesn’t give a damn about restraining orders or whatever else they throw at him. There’s only one thing he pays attention to, and that’s me. If he rebels someday . . . Well, that’ll be a delicious scene to play.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That last line was an inside joke! Because, you know, demons eating people is completely appropriate comedic material.
> 
> By the way, thanks to everyone's who's subscribed, left kudos, and/or commented. You make me happy.


	5. Absolutely Nobody's in Denial

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nobody's evading the counselor's questions. Nobody, do you hear me?

**Grell**

Counselor: “What’s your relationship with William like?”

Grell: “We’re friends. We’ve got the music in common.”

Counselor: “Anything else?”

 

**William**

Counselor: “You’re a perfect student . . .”

William (cutting in): “Almost perfect.”

Counselor: “That must take a lot of late-night studying. That’s an energy drink you’ve got in your bag, isn’t it?”

William: “Red Bull, yes. It gives you wings . . . Or keeps you from crashing, at least.”

Counselor: “Do you drink Red Bull a lot? Or coffee or soda?”

William: “Coffee. One dose in the morning, one at lunch. Then one energy drink when classes let out.”

Counselor: “Nothing stronger?”

William: “Caffeine pills for all-nighters and major exams.”

Counselor: “Nothing stronger?”

 

**Lau**

Lau: “I will neither confirm nor deny anything about the rumors that may or may not be told about drugs that might be sold to our likely salutatorian . . . possibly.”

 

**Claude**

Claude: “Sebastian touched Alois. That was entirely unreasonable.”

Counselor: “Well, Alois touched Ciel. Was that unreasonable?”

Claude: “I am in no place to criticize Alois’ actions. I cannot do anything but defend his honor.”

Counselor: "Honor?"

Claude: "I use the term loosely."

 

**Ciel**

Ciel: “Everything _exploded_ in the dining hall, and I don’t use that term lightly. As I recall, Alois tackled me, Sebastian went for Alois, Claude went for Sebastian, and Grell aimed at Alois and ended up hitting all four of us.”

Counselor: “Strange, then, that _William_ ended up with the butter knife in his hip."

Ciel: "It is strange, isn't it?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story's heading fast towards its conclusion. Only two more chapters to go!
> 
> Also, does anybody have some good resources on Victorian fashion, dancing and etiquette? I'm writing a fic about married!Lizzie, set roughly seven years after the current manga arc, and I've come across some historical accuracy issues (e.g.- I wrote that Lizzie was wearing a gown that I thought was very cute and only later realized was a mourning dress . . .).
> 
> Specific questions:  
> Do young married women generally dance at balls hosted by other people? How about young-ish married men? May they dance with people other than their spouses?  
> Can servants (I'm thinking specifically of footmen, here) ever accompany their masters into the ballroom?  
> How do the clothes of married and unmarried women differ (both in and out of the ballroom)?  
> What socioeconomic class were university professors believed to belong to?  
> Could you be considered upper-class (or at least be invited to an upper-class ball) even if you didn't have a title?  
> Would it be appropriate to wear a brilliant, emerald-green dress to a ball?  
> Would it be appropriate for husband and wife to give each other gifts on their first anniversary? Could the green dress described above be appropriate gift for the wife?
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	6. Suspicions (and More Non-Denial)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All the characters weigh in for the last time— all but one.

**Grell**

Grell: “You think I might have anger issues? _Might_?”

Counselor: “Have you been in therapy before?”

Grell: “I don’t really know anyone professional who’s trained to help with my particular issues. But I’ve got a friend to talk to, in secret. Always in secret.”

Counselor: “Why in secret?”

Grell: “He doesn’t want people to know.”

Counselor: “Is he also suffering from mental illness?”

Grell: “It’s life and death with him, not that he’ll admit it while he’s still alive. That would mean admitting he's flawed, and he won't ever do that."

 

**William**

William: “I’m fine, really.”

Counselor: “Why are you so set on going to Harvard?”

William: “It’s number one, by a staggering amount of objective metrics. You needn’t worry about my mental state, by the way. Everything’s fine. Perfectly fine.”

 

**Lau**

Lau: “What do I know about Adderall? It is a powerful aid to those who love success. I believe it is prescribed for patients with ADHD and is otherwise off-limits. As for whether Alois Trancy has been unusually hyperactive and lacking in attention span recently . . . I cannot possibly comment.”

 

**Alois**

Alois: “I thought the whole fight made for great drama, actually. Ciel as the ingenue, me as the temptress, Claude and Sebastian as the knights, Grell as the comic relief . ..”

Counselor: “What about William?”

Alois: “He was the commoner saved deus-ex-machina style!”

Counselor: “Saved? How?”

Alois: “Well, he dodged, relatively speaking, and got hit in the hip. Which is lucky, seeing how the knife was heading straight towards those gorgeous hands . . .”

 

**Claude**

Claude: “I will confess there is a possibility that I overreacted in my defense of Alois. However, my reaction was not the most heinous of the day.”

Counselor: “Really?”

Claude: “There is some physical resemblance between myself and William, and Sebastian claims he intended to attack me, out of blameless self-defense, and simply missed. However, Sebastian was almost . . . professional as he took up that knife. I find it hard to believe he hit the wrong target entirely.”

 

**Ciel**

Ciel: “I’ve survived being harassed by Alois Trancy— that’s something of a Weston rite of passage. I’ve survived having dead parents. I’ll survive haptophobia. I’ll survive being aromantic quite happily, I expect. Really, why does everyone assume I need help all the time? Just because I haven’t smiled in years . . .”


	7. Just One (Hell of a) Student

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for sticking with me. This is the end . . .

**Sebastian**

Counselor: “You’re dead set on Harvard, aren’t you?”

Sebastian: “I’d like to make my best attempt to get in, but if I don't . . . Well, I won’t kill myself.”

Counselor: “Why Harvard? Why not another Ivy or all the other great schools out there?”

Sebastian: “There are certain subjects I may pursue better there than anywhere else . . .”

Counselor: “Is one of those subjects Ciel Phantomhive?”

Sebastian: “Are you accusing me of treating Ciel like . . . like Claude treats Alois?”

Counselor: “Is there a difference?”

Sebastian: “Every difference. You see, Claude hangs on to Alois as openly and obviously as possible. The fight in the dining hall, with his overt defense of Alois, that was commonplace for him. Those two will either marry or kill each other, perhaps both . . . I, on the other hand, want Ciel close enough that I may pass him in hallways, hear him speak from time to time, watch him play chess. But I want nothing more. If he gave a damn about me, I would cease to give a damn about him.”

Counselor: “And that's why you stood up for him against Alois?"

Sebastian: “God help me, I like helping Ciel in ways he won’t notice. And he won’t notice what I did, by the way. He has a chessmaster’s mind— he knows what will benefit his opponent better than his opponent does.”

Counselor: “So?”

Sebastian: “If he considers the events carefully, he will see only that I want one of the five spots at Harvard, and that I lashed out at my two main rivals.”

Counselor: “Yet you didn’t attack Ciel himself . . .”

Sebastian: “William and I are the weakest candidates, so William is the greatest thorn in my side. Alois is the next most vulnerable— professional or not, even Grell Sutcliff could out-act him. Ciel would review the facts and conclude that I was aiming at my greatest enemies, secretly, stealthily. He’d never guess that I was flailing about for the most obvious reason in history.”

Counselor: “Love.”

Sebastian: “Love, albeit of a roundabout, non-traditional sort.”

Counselor: “Love explains why you went after Alois, definitely.”

Sebastian: “Indeed, that’s the full explanation. May I assume we’re done here?”

Counselor: “Not quite. If you want to go to Harvard to pursue— observe Ciel, I suppose, you’d benefit quite a bit from attacking William. Especially since you almost hit his hands, which play the piano music that might well get him in.”

Sebastian (looking shocked): “Do you really think I’d go that far, just out of love for Ciel Phantomhive?”

Counselor: “No . . . No, of course I wouldn't think that about you. This case, I suppose, has just messed with my mind . . . You can go, Sebastian.”

Sebastian: “Thank you. [He rises to leave, then stops.] I’m no grand schemer, you know. Merely one hell of a student.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked this last chapter! I know my writing can be a bit oblique at times, so feel free to ask questions if you're still unclear on any particular point. Thanks for reading!
> 
> P.S.- In this AU, by the way, Sebastian is lithromantic. According to aromantic.wikia.com, "somebody who is lithromantic can feel romantic attraction towards others and also enjoy being in romantic relationships but only in theory. They do not need the affection to be reciprocated or to be in a relationship with their crush." Given that Ciel is aromantic, this works out rather well for them both.
> 
> P.P.S.- if you liked this story, go check out my other stuff! I also updated my [profile](http://archiveofourown.org/users/thaliaarche/profile), actually, so it would make me especially happy if you took a look at that.

**Author's Note:**

> You can also find me at [thaliaarche.tumblr.com](https://thaliaarche.tumblr.com/)!


End file.
